Gabi Goslar’s life story is one of incredible resilience and survival in the face of unimaginable horror. Born in Amsterdam in 1940, Gabi and her older sister Hannah endured imprisonment in Nazi concentration camps as young children during World War II. Gabi’s story is forever linked to that of Anne Frank, as her sister Hannah was one of Anne’s closest friends.
This is the remarkable tale of Gabi Goslar’s life, legacy, and enduring message of hope.
Who Is Gabi Goslar?
Gabi Goslar, whose full name is Rachel Gabriela Ida Goslar, is a Holocaust survivor best known as the younger sister of Hannah Pick-Goslar, who was a dear friend of Anne Frank. Born on October 25, 1940 in Amsterdam, Gabi was only a toddler when she and her family were caught up in the horrors of the Holocaust. Despite enduring unthinkable hardships, Gabi survived the concentration camps and went on to build a life for herself, while honoring the memory of those lost.
Early Life and Family Background
Gabi Goslar was born into a Jewish family in Amsterdam in 1940. Her parents were Hans Goslar and Ruth Judith Klee, and she had an older sister named Hannah, born in 1928. The Goslar family lived a comfortable life in Amsterdam prior to the outbreak of World War II. However, their world was shattered with the Nazi occupation of the Netherlands in 1940.
In 1942, the Goslar family went into hiding to avoid deportation to concentration camps. They were assisted by Dutch resistance members in finding safe houses. Sadly, in June 1943, the family was betrayed and arrested. Gabi, not yet 3 years old, was sent with her mother and sister to the Westerbork transit camp in the Netherlands. Heartbreakingly, Gabi’s father Hans was deported to Auschwitz, where he perished.
At Westerbork, Gabi, Hannah and their mother faced deplorable conditions, crammed into overcrowded, unsanitary barracks. In February 1944, Gabi and Hannah were deported from Westerbork to Bergen-Belsen concentration camp in Germany, where they were imprisoned for over a year. At Bergen-Belsen, the young girls endured starvation, brutal cold, forced labor, and the constant threat of death in the disease-ridden camp.
Surviving the Holocaust
In April 1945, as Allied forces closed in, the Nazis began hastily evacuating prisoners from Bergen-Belsen, cramming them onto trains headed for other camps. Gabi, Hannah and their mother Ruth were forced onto one of these trains, which became known as the “Lost Train.” For days, the train meandered through Germany, with the passengers suffering from hunger, thirst and illness.
On April 23, 1945, the train stopped near the village of Tröbitz in eastern Germany. There, the passengers were liberated by Soviet troops. 13,000 prisoners were freed from the Lost Train, Gabi and Hannah among them. Tragically, their mother Ruth, weakened by the deprivations of the camps, died the day after liberation.
After recovering with a foster family, Gabi and Hannah eventually returned to Amsterdam. Of their extended family, only the two sisters and one aunt survived the Holocaust. Over 75% of Dutch Jews, including most of the Goslar family, were murdered in the genocide.
Relation to Anne Frank
Gabi Goslar’s connection to Anne Frank was through her sister Hannah Pick-Goslar, who was one of Anne’s best friends. Hannah and Anne met at age 4 and became close playmates and schoolmates. In the 1940s, Hannah and Anne would often play together at Amsterdam’s Merwedeplein square, where both families lived.
The girls lost touch when the Frank family went into hiding in 1942. Amazingly, the friends were briefly reunited in February 1945 at Bergen-Belsen, just months before Anne’s tragic death. Through a barbed wire fence, Hannah spoke with Anne, who was severely weakened by hunger and disease on the other side of the camp. Hannah tossed a package with bread and socks over the fence to her friend. It was the last time Hannah saw Anne alive.
Hannah later learned of Anne’s death at age 15, only weeks before the camp’s liberation in April 1945. Anne’s wartime diary, published as “The Diary of a Young Girl,” documented her life in hiding and became one of the most famous Holocaust accounts. Hannah Pick-Goslar became one of the key living witnesses to Anne’s life story.
Life After World War II
After being liberated from the “Lost Train” in April 1945, Gabi and Hannah Goslar slowly rebuilt their lives. Still just young girls, they first recovered in the care of a Dutch foster family. With most of their family gone, the orphaned sisters relied on each other for support and love in the difficult post-war years.
Eventually, Gabi and Hannah returned to live in Amsterdam, where they had been born. There, they resumed their education and tried to regain a sense of normalcy. The trauma of their wartime experiences continued to impact them, however. Gabi later described having frequent nightmares about the camps for years.
As they entered adulthood, the sisters started careers and families of their own. Hannah trained as a nurse and aided Albert Schweitzer at his hospital in Gabon, Africa. She later married and had three children, moving to Jerusalem. Gabi became a social worker and foster mother, helping troubled youth in the Netherlands. She married Benno Herschel and had two children.
Throughout their lives, Gabi and Hannah worked to preserve the memory of Anne Frank and to share their own Holocaust stories. In the 1980s, Gabi joined the Dutch Auschwitz Committee, advocating for Holocaust remembrance and education. She frequently gave talks in schools about her experiences. Hannah Pick-Goslar became an important figure in the Anne Frank remembrance community, giving countless interviews about her friend.
Advocacy and Remembrance
In her later years, Gabi Goslar became an impassioned advocate for Holocaust education and remembrance. She felt it was her responsibility to bear witness to the genocide and to keep alive the memory of the 6 million Jews murdered by the Nazis. Gabi worked with the Anne Frank House in Amsterdam and frequently shared her story in schools, universities and public events.
Gabi emphasized the importance of remembering not just how the victims died, but how they lived. She shared cherished memories of her parents, relatives and friends who perished, putting human faces to the staggering statistics. While many know Anne Frank’s story, Gabi reminded audiences that Anne was just one of 1.5 million Jewish children murdered in the Holocaust.
In preserving Holocaust memory, Gabi aimed to combat modern anti-Semitism, racism and intolerance. She cautioned that the hatred that fueled the Holocaust persists today and must be vigilantly opposed. Gabi called for building a more just, peaceful and tolerant world. She saw Holocaust education as key to preventing future genocides.
Legacy and Impact
Gabi Goslar’s life story stands as a testament to human resilience and the power of compassion. Her message of tolerance, love and remembrance has touched countless hearts worldwide. Through her tireless advocacy and willingness to share painful memories, Gabi turned her suffering into a force for positive change.
Gabi’s story provides an intimate look into Anne Frank’s life through the eyes of her best friend’s family. While Anne did not survive, Gabi carried forward her legacy, ensuring her friend would never be forgotten. Gabi and Hannah’s survival allowed Anne’s beautiful spirit to live on.
Gabi’s experiences also shed light on the oft-forgotten stories of child Holocaust survivors. Her trauma and ultimate triumph put a human face on the staggering number of children murdered and orphaned by the Nazis’ genocidal regime. Her story underscores the unimaginable cruelty inflicted on the most innocent and vulnerable.
Is She Still Alive?
Gabi Goslar passed away on October 18, 2022 at the age of 81. She had spent her final decades educating new generations about the Holocaust and preserving the memory of those lost, including her dear friend Anne Frank. Gabi’s legacy lives on through her children, grandchildren, and all those she touched with her powerful message of hope and resilience.
Final Words
Gabi Goslar’s extraordinary life story teaches us about the human capacity for survival, forgiveness, and hope in the darkest of times. Her enduring friendship with Anne Frank, her incredible tale of surviving Bergen-Belsen and the Lost Train, and her tireless work to preserve Holocaust memory all make Gabi an inspiration for the ages.
May we honor Gabi’s legacy by heeding her call to never forget the Holocaust’s victims and to build a more just, tolerant world. In Gabi’s own words: “If we forget the past, we are doomed to repeat it. Remembering is our duty to those we lost and our responsibility to future generations.” Gabi Goslar’s light will forever shine bright.